Still trying to figure out what to be for Halloween this year and don’t want to spend any money on a cheap costume that you will toss on Saturday. Here are some ideas straight from your gear closet.

1. Alpinist

Clothing: soft shell pants, base layer top, hardshell, and your mountaineering/hiking boots, gloves and a knit cap (additional layers may be added or removed based in local weather)

Gear: backpack

Optional Gear: helmet, harness, ice ax and crampons… if I have to provide a warning on why the last two items may not be a good idea then you should not bring them.

Party Notes:
When asked, who are you?
Answer: Ueli Steck

When they ask you, who is Ueli Steck?
Answer: Google The Swiss Machine.

They will go home and be impressed!

2. Climber

Option A:

Clothing: pull some pants and a plaid shirt out of your dirty clothes hamper, approach shoes, and a trucker cap

Gear: helmet, harness, rack, chalk bag, and climbing shoes clipped to your harness

Party Notes:
Warning! Please do not try to climb man made objects such as walls, gutters on houses, or roofs, no matter how many, or few, drinks you have had and no matter how good of an idea it seems like at the time.

Option B:

Clothing: TNF t-shirt, pants/shorts, and approach shoes

Gear: a chalk bag

Party Notes:
When asked, who are you?
Answer: Alex Honnold

When they ask you, who is Alex Honnold?
Answer: He’s a climber, google him.

They will go home and spend hours getting sucked into watching videos of Alex climbing and think this is what you do when you “go climbing.”

3. Backpacker

Clothing: tech pants, hiking shirt, cap, buff, hiking boots (weather appropriate options may be worn)

Gear: hiking poles, map and compass, loaded backpack

Party Notes:
Ways to show off.
1) Impress people by showing all the different uses for your buff

or 2) load your pack to it's actual trail weight and say "yep I hike for miles over mountain passes with this bad boy."

Bonus points if you, a) set up your tent at the party to hang out in, b) don’t shower for the days leading up to the party, or c) have a Sierra Designs garment style bag to wear as part of your costume.

TIP: Accessorize all three options with a water bottle and you will have an eco friendly drinking vessel all night, bring a second one to fill with candy!

Happy Halloween!

PC: Brian Swanson, Joshua Tree National Park